How to Go Cash (and Credit Card) Free at Your Next Event

In the age of Wi-Fi on planes and phones that can all but put your clothes on for you, it’s no wonder that there are also a plethora of new event technologies designed to alleviate common event pains and provide attendees with a less stressful, more seamless, event experience. One of these innovative new technologies may go by different names, but here at Stova, we like to call it the Purse Application.
Here’s how the Purse App works:

1. Tokens or money is loaded onto an attendee’s badge before or during the show.
2. An attendee can use this “money” by tapping their badge to an NFC reader or having their badge’s QR code scanned at a designated selling area.

Okay, so maybe you get it or maybe you’re still a little confused. Either way, here are some examples of how this application could be used to optimize your next event.

1. At the Snack Bar

When spending hours walking around the show floor, or attending session after session, every attendee is looking for something to munch on throughout the day. Many shows offer for-purchase snacks at various locations around the event to fill this specific need. But what happens if you’re the unlucky attendee who left their wallet at the hotel while you were rushing to get to your first session? Or more commonly, who wants to go through the hassle of shuffling through their bag to try and find their wallet amid stacks of handouts and business cards? The purse app solves for these problems and so much more. With this app and an NFC enabled badge, the attendee would simply tap their badge to an NFC reader set up at the snack bar, and using the app, the salesperson would charge their account for the allotted dollar or token amount of the items that they purchased. No hassle, no fuss, just tap n’ go! For use with QR codes, a scanner would be set up in lieu of an NFC reader, and the process would proceed as outlined.

2. For the VIPs

Another way that event organizers can use the purse app at their event is to highlight special guests that they would like to treat to snacks, items, etc. Event organizers can do this by loading a certain dollar amount, or amount of tokens, onto VIP attendee badges before, or during, the event. They can then inform those attendees that their badges have been preloaded for a given amount, and that this sum can be used at various shops throughout the event. This allows show organizers to pamper distinguished guests in a subtle, easy-to-implement way.

3. With a Wristband

Okay, so I guess this could have been covered in the first point, but we all know that wristbands are a whole world of their own. This application is perfect for events looking to use wristbands. The first reason being because it completely falls in line with what you’re trying to accomplish by using wristbands, instead of badges, in the first place. If you want attendees to be as hands-free and care-free as possible, why not let them be wallet-free as well? The NFC wristbands work exactly like NFC badges, attendees must simply load money or tokens onto their badge before or during the event, and then purchase items by tapping their wristband to the NFC readers at designated stands. Stand attendants will charge the specific amount to the attendees account through the application running on a handheld device. It’s as easy as that.
So moral of the story, the event’s world is not falling behind on keeping up with new technologies that alleviate common pain points, and the purse application is just one example of this. Whether you’re looking for an easy way for attendees to grab a bag of chips, want to treat a distinguished guest to a glass of wine, or just want to take your hands-free event to the next level, the purse app can fulfill all of those needs and more.